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Media Influences On Health

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The media — everything from television, radio, and film to games, advertising, and social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter — can have significant impacts on individual and population health. Exposure to media, especially among youth, may affect health behaviors such as substance use, sexual activity, and eating habits.

Adolescents in the UK and the Netherlands (but not in Germany) see more alcohol adverts on television, per hour of television watched, than adults. These differences result from the different viewing times, channels watched, and the placement of adverts.

African American and Hispanic youths are exposed to an average of 4.1 and 3.4 alcohol ads per day respectively, while white youths are exposed to an average of two ads per day. Greater restrictions on alcohol advertising outdoors and on television should be considered.

A mass media campaign intended to help prevent suicides in California is reaching a majority of the state's adults and appears to be increasing their confidence about how to intervene with those at risk. The campaign encourages the public to “Know the Signs” of suicide and directs people to a website to learn more.

A mass media campaign intended to help prevent suicides in California is reaching a majority of the state's adults and appears to be increasing their confidence about how to intervene with those at risk. In addition, an assessment of a companion suicide prevention program finds that the long-term impact could be the prevention of at least 140 deaths and 3,600 suicide attempts per year over the next three decades.

Tobacco and alcohol addiction are widespread public health risks across the European Union. Both merit tackling at a young age. Evidence-based, early interventions are available that can be applied in small-scale settings to prevent underage alcohol and tobacco abuse.

To help address China's smoking problem, China's parliament is considering a ban on all tobacco ads except those at point-of-sale retail locations. How does this compare to the current state of play regarding Chinese tobacco ads? And could the new law shift the tobacco-control landscape?

Report evaluates the effects of a California mass media program that aims to prepare more Californians to prevent suicide by encouraging them to know the warning signs, offer support to persons at risk, and reach out to local resources.

Currently, evidence for the safety, harmfulness, utility, and addictiveness of e-cigarettes is lacking. The questions that research needs to answer, however, are clear as day—particularly since business is booming.

CVS Caremark will stop selling cigarettes and other tobacco products at its CVS/pharmacy stores beginning Oct. 1. Though it stands to lose $2 billion dollars in annual revenue, CVS CEO Larry J. Merlo said that selling tobacco products is at odds with the company's mission of improving health outcomes.

Exposure of young people to alcohol advertising is a risk factor for underage drinking. This study assessed youth exposure to television alcohol advertising in the UK, the Netherlands and Germany, from December 2010 to May 2011.

During the holiday season, a time when overindulgence is a tradition for many, food marketing creates especially serious challenges for people trying to limit their intake and make careful decisions about healthier eating.

College students documented their exposure to pro-smoking media messages during their normal routine over a three-week period. After exposure to just one, their smoking intentions immediately increased by an average of 22 percent. Smoking intentions decreased with each passing day but remained elevated for seven days.

American youth enjoy increasing access to television, movies, music, games, websites, and advertising—often on pocket-size devices. Given the prominent and growing role that media plays in the lives of U.S. children and adolescents, what effects do these conditions have on their health and well-being?

People who consume just one or two sugar-sweetened drinks a day have a 26 percent greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes than people who rarely drink these beverages, write Kristin Van Busum and Lauren Hunter.

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Researcher Spotlight

Associate Behavioral and Social Scientist

Dr. Elizabeth "Liz" L. Petrun Sayers is an associate behavioral and social scientist at the RAND Corporation with 9 years of experience researching risk-related topics. Petrun Sayers studies how traditional and new media shape risk perceptions, decision-making, and behaviors. Her…

Senior Behavioral Scientist

Rebecca Collins is a senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation. She also sits on RAND's Human Subjects Protection Committee. Her research examines the determinants and consequences of health risk behavior. Several current and recent projects focus on the effects of media on health. She…

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